California Amends Postconsumer Recycled Plastic Requirements for Plastic Beverage Containers

On September 18, 2026, Governor Newsom signed California Senate Bill (SB) 633, which amends the postconsumer recycled plastic requirements for plastic beverage containers subject to California’s bottle bill (the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act).

Among other things, pursuant to SB 633:

• For beverage manufacturers that do not meet the minimum postconsumer recycled plastic content requirement, the annual administrative penalty will increase from $0.20 to $0.30 for each pound of virgin plastic used in lieu of the required amount of postconsumer recycled plastic.

• For annual reports due starting on March 1, 2028, beverage manufacturers will be required to provide proof that the postconsumer recycled content used is able to be validated and is validated by a third party, such as the Association of Plastic Recyclers, through its APR Postconsumer Resin Certification Program, or a similar third party approved by CalRecycle.

California SB 633 can be found here.

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